The international day for zero tolerance of female genitalia mutilation F.G.M. A five minutes read.

The 6th of February every year has been set aside as a day for zero tolerance of female genital mutilation or circumcision FGM ( World Wide ). The female genital mutilation is an unjust and unlawful act inflicted on girls and women globally, often as a result of traditional, cultural and a few religious beliefs.

photo credit: Instagram

There is need for abolition of this unhealthy practice. An approach that involves legislation, health care professional organizations, empowerment of the women in the society, and education of the general public at all levels with emphasis on dangers and disgust of the FGM.

According to the US National Library of Medicine, Nigeria due to its large population has the highest absolute number of female genital mutilation (FGM) worldwide, accounting for about one-quarter of the estimated 115–130 million circumcised women in the world.

Though FGM is practice in a lot of countries in Africa and a few scattered communities worldwide, its burden is seen in Nigeria, Egypt, Mali, Eritrea, Sudan, Central African Republic, and northern part of Ghana where it has been an old traditional and cultural practice of various ethnic groups. The highest prevalence rates are found in Somalia and Djibouti where FGM is virtually universally.

FGM is a practice whose origin and significance seem to be in secrecy, uncertainty, and confusion.The origin of FGM is birth with controversy either as an initiation ceremony of young girls into womanhood or to ensure virginity and curb promiscuity, or to protect female modesty and innocence.The ritual has been so widespread that it could not have risen from a single origin.

This ritual of FGM as i read is classified into four types or method, and have so many health and life threatening implications in time to come, as a female you have a whole life time to face this problems. I strongly suggest you look that up on wiki ,  bing or google. 

In Nigeria basically all the ethnic groups practice it except for the Fulanis, as they do not practice any form at all. FGM varies from country to country, tribes, religion, and from one state and cultural setting to another, and no continent in the world has been exempted. In most parts of Nigeria, it is carried out at a very young age (minors) and there is no possibility of the individual's consent. Its like giving a child tattoo when he/she is not of age to make that decision.

FGM is recognized worldwide as a fundamental violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. 

It involves violation of rights of the children and violation of a person's right to health, security, and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death. Furthermore, girls usually undergo the practice without their informed consent, depriving them of the opportunity to make independent decision about their bodies.

 It is very clear that there is no single benefit derived from FGM.

• Join the movement to say “NO” to save the future generations of women.
• Enquire about the practice in your locality and give clear information and education to other people on the health effects of FGM.
• And if it is in your power discuss with your law makers or local representatives on making laws against FGM.

Support families and communities in their efforts to abandon the practice and to improve care for those who have undergone FGM. Every one has the right to decisions concerning their life and well being and is never in the hands of parents, community, custom to make that decision; it is one thing to preserve custom and tradition as it has always been a guidance back to roots and norm, but it is another thing to endanger an individuals life to promote and preserve such fetishes.

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The effect of using the traditional cooking stove and how much it affects you and the environment. A four minutes read.

The kerosene fuelled stove is commonly used in developing countries of the world. The particular type on display is popular in Nigeria. Over the years people of the past and present have relied on this traditional method of cooking, ranging from the local farmer, teacher, trader, plumber and in most homes found in the urban areas in Nigeria; as this makes-up 80% of the cooking population--i am guessing, is not an actual statistics.

The use of this stove is efficient for heating to most people, not forgetting. it is cheap and economical for users; as money is utilized economically compared to alternative method--using the common man logic. Now! we have discuss the pros; lets get to the cons.

The use of this traditional stove is always associated with the emission of carbon monoxide co, which normally is odourless, colourless, tasteless and toxic, would definitely kill you when exposed over a long period of time in a confine space. The carbon monoxide comes to be as a result of incomplete combustion of carbon that is absent of oxygen.

Carbon monoxide exposure in homes above 70ppm can cause symptoms like: headache, fatigue, and nausea but sustained level above 150ppm can cause disorientation, unconsciousness, and death. Just imagine this happening in a poorly ventilated kitchen, as it is in most of our kitchens in Africa; well! you weigh the results.

 When it comes to exposure every one is at risk. Unborn babies, infants, the elderly and people with conditions like: chronic heart diseases, anaemia, or respiratory problems, as they are generally more at risk than others.

 Often noticed around cooking pot used in cooking with the traditional stoves; during or after cooking as a result of wrong setting of stove wick or any other part; as well as incomplete combustion of carbon, is the presence of black carbon or soot; a component of particulate matter.

 Black carbon apart from it's negative health impacts over the years, is among one of the many causes of climate change and happens to be number 2 in the carbon family to carbon-dioxide CO2 in the amount of heat trap in the atmosphere; which causes global warming, rise in sea level, flooding and other environmental disturbing problems and degradation. So needless to say, looking for a better  alternative methods of cooking doesn't just care for your health, it cares for the environment.

 If you find this post educating, please feel free to share using the social media icon below, you can as well connect to this platform using the social media icon above. Hope you visit again; until next time, enjoy.

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As it was in the head of a six years old. A five minutes read.

Often you wonder if things ever get easy, if worries ever go away. Your fear, insecurity, pressure and the insensitivity of this world. As a little boy the adults and society let me understand that not been good enough will doom one's future in time to come.

How always been bad in certain aspect of your life is a sign that you probably won't amount to much in life; how not been good enough would bring ruin to you in future to come.

Back in the day i was never good at anything at all, never good in:  sports, looks, or even academics; as occasionally i and certain group of pupils were always dragging the 1st, 2nd, 3nd down to 11th position in class, and trust me, it was never from the front.

The pressure was on, even as an 6 years old, you look around  and see people you feel are having it easy, and wish you had that life. Time to time, you pray to be better but been better was not really coming your way.

As continuously you feel that you were on this alone and no one seem to pay attention or observe how hard you are trying and how much of patience you need them to have, to be able to reach out to you. This was the life of so many of us, and still is to many, only on a different phase and scale. The truth is that most of us have been stressing and worried about tomorrow, even as a child, you didn't really live through or enjoyed childhood innocence and freedom; as it suppose to be.

 Our fears, insecurity and uncertainties always get the best of us. As an adult you look at kids today playing, and say to yourself that they have no problems and no worries, how much you miss been them, and how much you would give to just see life their way one more time. No worries, just excitement. Well! this is because all you see in them is smile and play.

 The funny truth remains that you too had your fair share of fun as a child, but do you remember the fair share of fear and insecurities of not fitting in or been weird, the people within and around you not understanding you, even when in your mind you seem to be screaming your lungs out and saying please, get me. So many times in your mind you screaming, showing clue but no one seem to pay attention, no one seem to want to graze you the patient of connecting with you, no one seem to get you, because to them, you just a kid what more could be your problem other than food, sleep and play.

 Today we all have a kid or more, related or not. Do you think that perhaps it would be too much of a burden to you, to really inquire about their happiness, fear and insecurities. It is easy to be an adult that buys candy for a child, anyone even the gate man can do that, but been the adult that connects on a level that many ignore, is what a child 20 years from particular date would remember, and say that was an aunty/uncle that truly got me. Extending that time and attention to really and truly connect with a child, would be priceless to that child, in future to come. Until your next read, enjoy and feel free to use the share button below.

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Colours. A two minutes read.

Micheal chijioke amadi is a graduate of Biochemistry, Abia state university.

 A former lodge mate of mine back then in school, we stayed neighbours all through our university program; as none of us actually moved out, ignore the beards in the picture, he doesn't always he look like a criminal; he has a baby face when shaved lol. 

A brief essay on him will be my first post on this column. So what can i say about Michael? sorry, i forgot to mention he is popularly known as " colours ". 

He is a regular guy with hopes and dream of a foreseeable bright future, and saw the need to give life to the "Resume" and "curriculum vitae" of both graduates and undergraduates that seek his professional touch on their credentials. if you are one of such people, seek his expertise and that of his team.

 Connect with them him: bbm= 24CA5F70, email= coloursvitae@gmail.com or better still, visit www.coloursvitae.com. I could write a composition on this guy but lets leave it on the 2mins  mark, because a lot of people don't like reading a long text. Micheal chijioke amadi aka " colours" is our regular guy that most definitely will do extraordinarily things.

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Nigeria environmental problems and ways we affect it. A three minutes read.

In Nigeria and the rest of the world, a clean environment is necessary to live a peaceful and healthy life. But our environment is getting dirty day by day because of the negligence of we the occupants. it is an issue the present, future and generations 100 years and more coming, should know about.

The several environmental problems of the nation has given rise to certain simple but yet uneasy question that occupies the thoughts of locals as well as the rest of the world. Question like:

(a) Where are the trees in our urban area?.

(b) How good of air are we breathing?.

(c) Where is the sanity in gutters remaining stagnant and how much does it affect us, our health and mental well being.

(d) How clean is underground water knowing the disturbances from anthropogenic (relating or resulting from human beings) activities.

 Our large population affect and put stress on the environment, society and resources. Can you help but notice the numerous sight of stagnant gutters around, polluted streams, lakes and soil. The amount of oil traces and messy unhealthy dumps around resources that are either directly or indirectly consumed by man. 

There are numerous formula in many branches of life been: mathematics, physics or economics, but there is one life formula that has logically giving credit to good reasoning. The logic of give and take / plus and minus, you get what you are have been giving; you know as the saying goes " you rip what you sow ". 

We see the pollution as it occupies all part of the environment been water, air and land. There are gas smokes everywhere, water in abundance but so little to drink, crops unable to survive as a result of either climate been too hot or soil nutrient been degraded. 

Often we deceive ourselves with the excuse that the environment will repair itself. How much harm could be done? after-al, people are still surviving and will continue to survive. Do you know that so many deaths, disease and sickness are environmental stimulated, from the diarrhoea, typhoid, cancer, cataract to the malaria, are all as a result of one slip in the environment within us. 

The stagnant water, polluted air and direct contact with contaminated soil are environmentally triggered as a result of loop holes from our end. We are constantly destroying the environment and the earth  daily, which in turn is destroying us economically, socially, and health-wise. 

 These and many more is what should cloud our minds and make us have a rethink on environmental re-approach. Stick with me as we continue to unravel more on other post. 

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Welcome to uchepost. A four minutes read.

Hello! I am Uchechukwu Mazi and welcome to my blog; i hope you continue to visit. i rather call this a book or better, see it as a documentary as it's not going be like the every day blog you're probably use to. it is a contemporary write up on the everyday life that regular people like you and i live, hardly will it take you away from reality as the realest of life we shall explore. it is a blog that speaks about a major part of our existence, the part on which life is sustain and lived;the Environment. 

We all, in one way or the other are conversant with the definition of the " Environment ", as it comprises of living and non living things as they interact or share energy, mass, air and other properties, and as such its our duty to conserve, nurture and sustain the environment. 

We might not be able to see all of the bad things in our environment, but they really exist. " Although i know that certain groups are most vulnerable and toxic substances in the environment affect every one of us in one way or the other and is our individual responsibility to help in balance and not completely deplete our environment. 

This blog forges us to be a tool and enlighten us on how we can be custodians of the gift of mother nature, the environment. okay! i think i have spoken too much grammer.

 (( This blog go dey give us guide on how some kind things dey happen for we naija environment and how we dey overlook am without knowing say e dey affect us in so many ways, wey no dey healthy and sustainable )) lol

Well! i believe we have grasped the concept. now, lets continue. A tab in the menu of the blog would be dedicated to personal experiences, thoughts and reasoning; i believe that is what the English man calls a " Diary" and will have my personal write-ups as well as featured post. Perhaps in the nearest future more menu list would be added.

Above the navigation list you have different social media platforms, i say you feel free to join me on any or join all. Enough beans has been spilled not to say too much, i thank you for this 4 mins of your time, you are welcome to uche's post and i hope you visit from time to time.

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